Save Me
by moomolie1709
Summary: Because silence is the most powerful scream, and he was the first one to hear her. Naley
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Hey readers, this is my first OTH story. I'm in love with Naley, and honestly find the canon perfect. But I tried my best to come up with a different scenario embodying the characters Nathan and Haley were before they met. Thanks for giving this fic a chance, and I hope you like it.

_Nathan Scott never believed in love. His past had hardened him, making it impossible to let anyone in. When he's forced to clean up his act in order to continue the path to his dreams, he meets a broken girl who has had her's ripped away after a tragic accident. Both are reluctant, but both needed someone to save them. Because silence was the most powerful scream, and he was the only one to hear her.  
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**Chapter 1**

Duke University had opened all sorts of doors for Nathan Scott. Already a natural born rebel and hedonist, college had offered him the freedom to attain the lifestyle he'd always dreamed of. After eighteen years of dysfunctional parents, there was nothing more that he wanted than to get out. He refused to be tied down any longer. The day he received his acceptance letter in the mail, a free ride athletic scholarship paying his way, he was gone.

He hadn't seen his parents in three years now.

He kept minimal contact with them, only calling on obligated occasions. Anytime he did return back to his hometown, he stayed with his previously estranged half brother. The initially hateful relationship between the Scott brothers had turned into a grudging respect as they played side by side on their high school basketball team. The two half siblings were polar opposites, save their gift and love for the game, and maybe the mutual contempt for the father they shared. They bonded reluctantly, and grudging respect turned out a strangely close fraternal connection.

Lucas was one of the only people who'd seen past Nathan's wall, one of the few to search beyond his younger brother's façade of tough and unemotional front. He was the only to see how desperate Nate was for someone to reach him, someone to pull him out of the darkness. Try as he might, Lucas knew he would never be the one to truly help his little sibling.

As they grew closer, it became more and more apparent how different the two brothers were.

The blood that ran through their veins might have shared the same parentage, but all in all the environments they were raised in determined the individual. Nathan spent his childhood and adolescence witnessing the worst marriage one could conjure up. Deb and Dan Scott often involved their only son in their fights, putting him through the brunt of it all. Nate was taught to be self reliant, to fight to protect his pride, and to never back down.

What resulted was a twenty one year old boy made of stone.

No one dared cross Nathan. There was a reverence and respect people had for him, but also a fear. He was unforgiving, aggressive, and highly temperamental. While the female population of the student body spent most of its time swooning over his bad boy reputation and brooding good looks, everyone else was wary around him. He was painted as the captain of the Blue Devils, a callous young man who never kept continued contact with any of his many conquests.

He was never one for romance. Most of the relationships he'd forged with the fairer sex were physical and non committal. All of them knew he didn't care for them, but they still slept with him in hopes of cracking the armor he wore. None of them even came close to being successful.

So here he was, a junior in college, ready for another year of wild parties, basketball victories, and meaningless sex.

But what he was really in for over the next ten months would forever change him and his life. He was to meet someone so bright that he couldn't avoid her. He was to find a stranger who understood him better than he understood himself. He was going to have someone who terrified him and overwhelmed him all at the same time. He was going to fight for someone who was even more broken than he was, someone who he would find himself hurting for.

Nathan was taught never to let anyone in. He didn't believe that true love existed. After all, love was simply a romanticized ideal of unbridled and unconditional affection that one being forged for another. And that was imposssible, right?

Wrong.

She would make him a believer.

She would come into his life without warning, just like he did with hers.

She was going to be the love of his life, and he never saw it coming.

**-p-**

A tall, broad shouldered, and dark haired young man walked into his empty apartment. Boxes of belongings had arrived the previous day, piled on top of each other in stacks above the floor. It was a spacious structure, light streaming in through the large paned windows on the east wall.

He dropped his gym bag unceremoniously onto the floor as he entered through the door. He was exhausted, his coach was a hard ass who didn't understand that the first day of practice wasn't the day to push his players to the extent of death.

The first semester of the school year was beginning in a little over a week, and things were already picking up into high gear. Soon enough, classes would begin, and hell would ensue. To be entirely honest, he wasn't interested in academics. He knew the only reason he'd been accepted into Duke was for his athletic record and nothing else. His grades had been short of failures, and nothing had changed too much. For the first two years of his college career, he'd been skimming close to the dangerous edge of flunking out.

Instead of studying, Nathan traded his time to celebrate his game victories and practice. He was dedicated, but not without reason. He knew he was a valuable asset to the team, so he trained and played hard. He wouldn't let something like his academic shortcomings to impede on his athletic success.

Without thinking, his feet led him to the fridge. Pulling the door open, he pulled out a water bottle, chugging the liquid to quench his thirst. He wiped his chin with the back of his hand, taking a moment to catch his breath after.

"Take it easy champ," a voice came from behind, "There's plenty more water, no need to down in all at once,"

Raising his eyes lazily upon hearing the familiar tone, Nathan looked up to meet the gaze of his older half brother. "Hey Luke, get all your crap out of my apartment, will you?" he said, skipping a usual greeting to emphasize his annoyance with the clutter in his home.

The blond haired boy looked amused, finding himself a comfortable place on the couch in the living room in front of the television. He reclined, placing his folded arms behind his head. He let out a breath. "Nah man, I don't so anymore. Brooke's been so amazing lately I'm not sure I want to move in with her anymore—"

"Not funny," Nathan cut him off, an edge of annoyance rising in his tone. He walked over and dropped himself on the leather seat beside the sofa. "If I have to hear you two 'studying' in the room next to me for one more night I might jump off the balcony,"

Lucas let out a laugh, "Alright, I get it. I'll be picking up the rest of my stuff tonight after the bonfire at the beach,"

"Great," Nate muttered in mock enthusiasm. He took a moment to stare up at the ceiling, his blue eyes glazing over despite attempts to fight off the desire to fall asleep.

"By the way, just a heads up," Lucas' tone suddenly turned serious, as it often did when he wanted Nathan to pay attention. From experience, Nate knew it was better to listen than to ignore what he had to say. "Peyton and Jake got together for real over the summer, they're official now,"

Nathan scoffed, "Peyton and I haven't been together since high school. She can date whoever she wants, I could never stand all her tortured artist whining anyways," he stopped to think, "In fact, I feel pretty bad for Jagileski who has to deal with all her bitching now,"

Lucas wasn't so easily appeased. Peyton and Nathan didn't quite have the conventional romance. They were the couple in high school everyone knew was always together, even if they were on the 'outs'. But by the time all of them had started college, Peyton was fed up with Nathan's promiscuity

Peyton was a cheerleader, and he was the stud basketballer. The break up wasn't as bad as their friends expected. Nate and Peyton had realized how little they actually cared about the other romantically. He hardly missed her, the meaningless flings he replaced her with equally as the mentality of treating Peyton as his property never fully ceased. He felt entitled, his blood boiling whenever he saw a guy even look at her.

"Nice to know you approve,"

Both boys heads snapped in the direction of the new female presence in the room. The girl had a thing for timing. Peyton Sawyer stood by the exit, leaning on the door frame. Her curly blonde hair was pulled back into a high ponytail, a few locks of hair escaping from their bindings and framing her face. Her jaw was clenched, evidently irritated by what she had just overheard.

"Sure Peyt, just invite yourself in, it's fine," Nathan drawled, rolling his eyes. Her outfit caught his attention, the cheerleading uniform revealing and ample amount of flesh. Her legs were on full display, and he found himself staring, not that he cared. "Looking hot as always though. It's a shame you're being wasted on someone like Jake,"

"You're a pig, you know that?"

"And you're a bitch," he countered without hesitation.

"Nathan," warned Luke.

Peyton was ready to bit Nathan's head off, when someone else walked through the door. "Play nice children, if you want to fight do it some other day. Today is too important for it to be screwed up by your petty war,"

Nathan groaned as the brunette approached the scene, taking whatever liberties she wished as she found a comfortable place on Lucas' lap. "This is my apartment, what the hell everyone doing ?"

But no one was listening. Brooke turned towards boyfriend, placing a kiss on his lips before directing her attention to her fuming friend, "What are you doing here, P. Sawyer? I thought Jake was picking up right after we finished cheer,"

"He was, but Coach wanted me to drop a letter for Nathan off," The old man didn't quite understand that Peyton and Nathan had been broken up for over a year now. With that, she walked up to Nathan and shoved the envelope in his face. Nathan deflected it narrowly, catching the letter with one hand. His eyes narrowing at the attempt. She stormed out, slamming the door loudly behind her.

"Don't forget to come to the beach at nine tonight!" Brooke called after her.

A brief moment of silence passed between the remaining trio before Nathan looked up, realizing that he was subject to two harsh glares facing him.

"God Nate, do you always have to be such a dick?" Brook accused.

"What?" he defended, "I didn't do anything!"

Brooke hopped off of Luke's legs, pulling down the hem of her short skirt as she stood up. "I better go after Peyton, she's been in a mood after getting back from New York," She leaned over and gave her beau a quick peck before following where Peyton had left.

Lucas had his hand out in the air, supposedly there to stop his girlfriend from leaving.

"Thanks a lot, man. Now my girlfriend's going to be in a 'mood' too,"

"You're welcome," he really couldn't care less.

"Whatever," the older boy ran a hand through his hair, "What's in that letter, anyway?"

His line of vision fell into the paper in his hands. Not thinking too much about it, he ripped the top of the envelope to retrieve the wording inside. Bored with what it had to say, Nathan was about to crumple it up and shoot it into the trash bin. But then he read something that he couldn't neglect.

**-p-**

Safe to say, Nathan was pissed.

He'd done what he needed to do during his freshman and sophomore years at Duke. And now something as trivial as his GPA was going to ruin it all. Coach had the nerve to send him a letter requesting that he take a more active initiative to earn better grades this year. He was teetering on the balance of getting kicked off the basketball team. He would need to get a tutor and put all of his extra time studying instead of partying in order to get the kind of marks Coach wanted from him.

"Hey cool it with the drinks, you're driving home tonight." Luke put a hand on his younger brother's shoulder, "What is that, like your seventh beer?"

They were all at the beach, the last hoorah of the summer, the first party of the year to kick off the coming months. Large numbers of students blurred the waterside, music blasting and wild dancing going late into the night. For Nate Scott, it meant getting wasted in an angry blur. He was fighting off the attention of females left and right, some of them bold enough to wrap their arms around his neck and go in for a kiss.

Any other night and maybe Nate would be impressed. But tonight he was just getting annoyed.

Pretending not to hear what his older sibling had to say, Nate continued to down the rest of his beverage. Of course Luke wouldn't understand why he was so mad. Luke was smarter, more worldly than he was. It was easy for him to do well in his classes.

"That's it, I'm cutting you off," Luke muttered, but Nate shoved him away.

"Like hell you are," he growled. He was buzzed, but not even close to drunk. He'd be damned if he was going to stop drinking now. Grabbing his keys out of his pocket, he headed towards his car. It took less than a minute for him to spot the black SUV parked less than a block away.

Hoping to find a nearby bar, he got in and started the engine.

**-p-**

A petite blonde sat at the café alone, holding the warm cup of tea between her cold hands. She always felt cold nowadays, her body trembling even when it the weather told her it was blazing. Ever since the accident, she couldn't help but feel as if all the heat and warmth in the world had disappeared.

She wore her wavy blonde hair in a loose single braid down her back. She closed her eyes as she listened to the music, bringing the rim of her teacup to her lips as she took another sip.

"Excuse me, Miss,"

Her large, doe like brown eyes snapped open. She met the gaze of a middle aged woman with a kind smile.

"I'm really sorry about this, but we close in ten minutes,"

The younger girl nodded in acknowledgement, sending a soft smile of her own. Something in her heart died whenever she smiled now, because she knew that it was always fake. There was no genuine happiness there anymore.

With that, she pulled out her purse and retrieved a couple of bills from her wallet. She took one last gulp of her drink before standing up and placing the money on the table. She looked the waitress straight in the eye to make sure they were making contact. She tilted her head down, as if in thanks.

The woman knew the girl wasn't saying anything, but somehow she understood. "You're welcome. Please come again,"

The light haired young woman nodded and turned around to leave. It was a long walk back to campus, but one of nice solitude. Being alone seemed to be the only thing remotely comforting. Having other people around just intensified the awareness of what she had lost.

The streets nearby the school were empty. Most Duke students were probably away at the party being thrown at the beach. At one point, she had considered attending but decided against it. There were no cars or oncoming traffic around her. But not being the type to break any rules, she waited patiently for the light to signal and allow her to cross the street.

The right signal flashed, and she began to walk. But when she had made it to the half way point, she heard it. Something speeding her way, she felt the powerful headlights in her peripheral vision. It all happened so quickly that she didn't have time to react.

One moment she was just standing there, the next her heart had jumped out of her chest. The vehicle was coming at her at full speed, breaking quickly at the last minute. She swore it was going to hit her, but then a solid screech was all she heard. The large car had stopped just in time, less than an inch away from colliding with her body.

She stood mortified, too petrified to move.

She squinted, unable to see who it was behind the wheel. She knew she hadn't been hit, but her legs gave out anyway. Her knees were trembling, and she was having trouble standing back up.

That was when she heard it, his voice.

"Hey," he sounded concerned, "Are you okay?"

Her eyes were glued to the cement ground beneath her, her body somehow incapable of looking up. Her heart was beating rapidly. Someone had nearly run her over.

She heard a car door slam, she watched from the corner of her eyes as he got closer to her.

"Damn it," she heard him cuss, "Hey, can you hear me?"

She tried opening her mouth, but she knew the words wouldn't come out. She couldn't breathe, a full on anxiety attack was ensuing. She felt her hands cramp up, she couldn't move. She struggled to regain her strength, but all of it was futile. Before she could make another effort, she felt two strong arms scoop her off the floor and into the air.

Unable to protest, this stranger lifted her into the passenger seat of an oversized SUV. She had shut her eyes tightly, curling up into a ball as she sat. She felt him fasten the seatbelt over her anyway, she heard the door of her right side shut as he rushed around the front of the car to get behind the wheel again.

"I'm taking you to the hospital," it wasn't a question, but a statement.

She could smell the traces of alcohol in his breath.

In an instant, her eyes snapped open. Under the dim lighting of the street lights outside, she could make out his image. It wasn't the ideal situation, but she couldn't help but note his appearance. He was tall, much taller than her even sitting down. He was dressed in a white tee shirt, dark washed jeans sitting around his hips. He was of muscular build, probably why he was able to lift her up in his arms with ease before. Warm brown orbs made their way up, shocked at what they met as she looked up.

His eyes. Piercing dark blue eyes, an icy quality about them as he looked at her. She felt his harsh stare and found herself wanting to shrink away.

"Hello? Can you hear me?" he said slowly.

When she didn't answer, he just grunted something under his breath. He tore his keys out of the ignition, and she became aware that the car had stopped moving. The letters on the building beside them played out, they'd arrived at the medical center emergency room entrance.

That was when the panic sank in.

She couldn't be here, she couldn't. Not again.

So as he got out of the car to retrieve her, with a sudden burst of willpower, she forced herself to burst through the door and jump to her feet. She winced a little, realizing the ache in her ankle. She powered through it anyway, sprinting away.

"Hey!"

She heard him shouting after her, but she didn't stop. These things were better when they were left alone. She didn't want to have to explain things to anyone anymore. She wasn't in any mortal danger, and that was enough for her.

The only reason he was really afraid for her wellbeing was the fact that she didn't speak. Sure the panic attack had some to do with it, but other than that she was alright. She would survive.

_"Hey!" _

Nathan called after the girl. One second she was shaking in the seat next to him, bunched up into fetal position. He was terrified of what was happening. He knew he hadn't hit her with the car, but still, there was something about this girl that frightened him. She was damaged, he just couldn't tell where or why. He sobered up the instant he saw her collapsed on the street. He just wanted to make sure she was alright.

He watched helplessly as she sped away, half limping on her injured ankle. He wanted to follow her, but by the time he'd gotten back in the car, she was gone. She'd disappeared from his line of sight, and he couldn't find her.

He reached up to his chest, feeling the heavy beat of his heart.

He was panting, he leaned forward to rest his forehead on the steering wheel. He stayed like that for a while—confused, dazed, and utterly perplexed. But his moment of uncharacteristic concern disappeared just as abruptly as it had appeared.

Then it caught his eye.

In the place of the girl who had so desperately escaped his help, sat an abandoned purse. It was a small brown leather pouch with a long thin handle that was meant to go around neck and shoulder.

Not caring if he was invading some privacy boundaries, he reached over and picked it up. Nate emptied the bag's contents into the palm of his hands. There wasn't much inside.

A couple of neatly folded bills, a house key, a simple beret clip, and a flat smooth, perfectly rounded stone. He brought his thumb along the surface of the smooth rock, thinking of how peculiar it was for a young woman to carry around with her. He shook the bag upside down again, and one last item fell out.

A small card, similar to the one Nathan kept in his wallet.

And ID card that all Duke students were required to have with them at all times. Sure enough, it belonged to the girl from before. The picture was definitely of her, but Nate couldn't help but feel she looked different than the young woman he'd met earlier that night. Somehow the photograph looked happier, more cheerful. Looking over the card, he read over the name printed near the bottom.

_Haley James. _

**End Chapter 1**

A/N: What did you think? It's a little angsty, but isn't that what OTH was in the beginning? Please review if you'd like me to continue this story.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

She didn't recognize him when he nearly hit her with his car, nor had she realized his notorious identity when he had rushed her to the hospital. But there was no mistaking it later, the boy who nearly killed and then saved her was indeed the infamous Nathan Scott.

It wasn't as if she was seeking him out, if anything she was trying to forget about the whole ordeal involving that night. But at a school like Duke, it was hard _not _to know who he was. He was epitomized as the reigning Devils' heartthrob, a handsome and brooding bad boy that would attract attention to his every move.

No matter what she did, she couldn't get away from him.

She didn't understand why he was so popular amongst the student body. From what she could gather from idle gossip, Nathan Scott was nothing but an overconfident, ignorant, and drunken playboy who had no respect for rules, consequences, or the wellbeing of others.

He seemed like a class-A jerk, and she wanted nothing to do with him. She was glad he'd been drunk that night, he wouldn't have remembered who she was. She had no intention of introducing herself anytime soon. Her goal was to finish the next two years much like she had done the last two. She was to fly under the radar and graduate, never having to look back. She'd already lost too much, she didn't need to risk anything more.

She was working in the little coffee shop off campus when two students walked through the door. They were taking whatever was left of the summer heat to their advantage, each of them dressed in revealing outfits. They sat down at a table in her sections. Sighing first, and then grabbing the pen and pad out of her apron, half hobbling over to the customers.

Haley knew that it would have been better to see a doctor, or at least keep of her feet. But she was stubborn as hell to tough it out. If she stayed home, it would only be another reminder of how

It took a minute for them to realize that she was waiting to take their order. This was a regular occurrence now, she just had to learn to be patient. She couldn't just interrupt their conversation with words anymore. Instead, she made sure her presence was acknowledged after a prolonged stare. It usually made people uncomfortable to a point where they couldn't ignore it.

"I'll have an espresso," one of them ordered as she checked her phone.

"Make that two,"

They barely spared her a second glance before shooing her away. Forcing a smile, she nodded and headed back behind the counter. The day had started out terribly. She'd lost her purse sometime last night, and with it her ID card and house key.

Once she managed to get to her apartment last night, she had to crawl through the window. It might have been a testament to the poor security she lived in, but at least it proved convenient. She took a shower, iced her foot, and headed to sleep. When she awoke that morning, her head was pounding with incomprehensible force.

But she showed up for work anyway. She came from a big family, and being the youngest of all her siblings it wasn't as if there was cash lying around for her tuition. To add to that, her parents weren't too keen on her returning back to school so soon after the incident. They thought it would be better if she took a year absence to recover and maybe rest. But Hayley wouldn't have it, she was determined in her own goals. She maintained herself on an academic scholarship and paid her own way through the rest of it.

She went through the motions of preparing the beverages, working the barista machines and pouring the black liquid into large ceramic mugs. She was so concentrated on placing them on their trays and serving them to the clients that she didn't realize when he entered through the door.

He walked in with a purpose, an air of confidence about him as he strode forward. He spotted her effortlessly, not hesitating for even a second before approaching her.

Hayley placed both cups on the round wooden table. She didn't bother waiting for a 'thank you' from the two girls as they seemed distracted by something else. She took a long breath and turned on her heel to head back to her station. But as she tried to take her first step, she hit something.

It felt like she had run straight into a brick wall, something huge and pure muscle. He was so much taller than her that her face went straight into his chest, the full length of her height barely reaching the edge of his shoulder. She would have fallen backwards from the force of the collision when she felt something wrap around her waist and catch her before she could hit the ground.

She opened her eyes, only to meet a pair of unforgettable blue eyes.

"Hey," his voice was deep, a bit surprised.

_"Isn't that Nathan Scott?" _the two girls whispered to each other as they watched the interaction between the idolized man on campus and their server.

He set her upright, his motions strong and steady. Once back on her feet, she instinctively pushed his arms away. She stumbled backward, landing on her ankle in a way that further aggravated the wound that was already there. She winced visibly, and he stepped forward again.

"You okay?" he asked, taken aback by how much she repelled his touch. This time he was sure to keep a bit of distance between them. He glanced down at her now evidently swollen foot, a bruise also beginning to turn a dark shade of purplish grey.

She knew she should have worn jeans instead.

Without looking him in the eye, Haley nodded. Inhaling sharply she pretended as if the pain shooting through the bottom portion of her leg had disappeared, and she side stepped him to make her way back to the counter. She would ignore him, and he would go away. At least, that was the plan.

She bent down to retrieve a clean washcloth from the bottom drawer. Her back was facing him now, but she could sense that he was still there. She looked up above her, realizing how difficult it would be to get the bottle of cleaning solution from the top shelf. Doing what she usually did, she took a stool and tried to climb on top of it.

But before she could, he was right there behind her. The heat from his chest was radiating onto her spine, and she froze. "Here, I'll get it," he offered, not waiting for her to respond. Without having so much as to stretch, he got the bottle down for her.

She mouthed a curt 'thank you', not that he would have seen. She tried to pretend like he wasn't there again, spraying the counter and wiping it down.

Nathan was growing frustrated with this girl. She must have been the most infuriating individual he'd met at this school. She couldn't even so much as utter a single word to him? Sure he'd nearly mauled her with his car, but he'd come to apologize. Hell, he'd even come to return the crap she left in his car.

But as his anger was starting to boil, he had caught a glimpse of her injury from last night. It looked seriously painful, she was having trouble just walking. He groaned internally. It would have been fine if she'd just let him take her into the hospital last night. He wasn't a fan of the 'fairer sex' to begin with, but girls with adamantly stubborn and unfriendly attitudes made him think even worse.

"Hey, I'm trying to talk to you. Stop for a second, would you?"

He placed his hand over the one she was using to clean the table. He felt her tense and recoil, and he removed his place. Luckily he didn't have to do anything more, as she now stood back with her arms folded. Those soft and innocent looking eyes looking up at him in expectance.

"You left some of your stuff in my car last night," he started loudly.

Hayley looked over his shoulder, spotting the two girls from before staring at their interaction. They couldn't have found her more insignificant before this moment, and now that the great Nathan Scott was in their presence, they were wondering who she was. But she wanted nothing to do with him and that awareness he brought with him.

"Haley," he said, catching her attention immediately.

Her eyes widened, not having anticipated him to call her by her name. She wondered momentarily how he'd even found her, when he pulled out her ID and hairclip from his back pant pocket. He dropped both items unceremoniously next to her hands.

She wanted to ask what became of her belongings from her purse when he beat her to it. "The rest of is in my car,"

She narrowed her gaze, opening her mouth as if she could say something. But again, he cut her off.

"I'll give it to you after we leave. I'm taking you back to the ER,"

She might not have been able to verbally communicate with him, but the incredulity on her face was unmistakable. She almost thought to laugh as she turned away from him. She simply shook her head in a flat out denial.

"I'll pay the medical bill," he stated, thinking it would help convince her.

She still did not concede, now crossing her arms over her chest. Her eyes landed on the girls in the background again. They couldn't hear the exact conversation, but Haley imagined that wasn't stopping them from guessing.

She could tell he was growing annoyed, watching him carefully as he clenched his jaw.

The impulses than ran through his mind were twitching to be put in practice. Was she planning on pressing charges on him for the previous evening's escapades? He had enough of a record going in this year, he didn't want to give Coach another reason to bench him this season.

And besides, having suffered his own share of sports injuries, he could tell she was in obvious pain. Only a fool would try to pass it off as anything. He thought about it, grabbing this girl, throwing her over his shoulder, and carrying her into the car. He lowered his line of vision down her figure; she was so small that he could do it without strain.

"Whatever," he muttered exasperated, "Do what you want, but don't blame me for not trying." He looked in her in eye, "By the way, your ankle is sprained,"

She should have been relieved that he was finally leaving, but something in her chest felt like it had cracked after he gave up. She stood back as he stormed out of the shop, pushing through the door roughly and heading out onto the sidewalk.

Once he disappeared, she let out a breath of relief.

She thought it was over, but she was terribly wrong. Something settled strange as the two girls from the background continued to look at her, their narrowed gazes and stifled hushed whispers making her uneasy.

It was only the beginning.

**-p-**

The locker door violently slammed shut, rattling the other in the same row. His teammates shot him sideways looks, all of them simultaneously curious and afraid of what he was feeling. Practice had been exhausting, and he felt about ready to pass out.

"Where the hell were you last night?"

He closed his eyes, not wanting to be reminded of the girl half his size who unrelentingly defied his request that morning. He shifted so that he was leaning on the locker, looking uninterested as his half brother waited for an answer.

"Nowhere, Luke. Just another beer run,"

"To where, Canada?" Lucas whispered fiercely, purposefully keeping his voice down so that no one would hear. "You were definitely buzzed when you left the party. Do you have any idea how dangerous that was?"

"Sorry mom." Nathan joked.

Luke held his palm to his forehead, his younger sibling was going to be the death of him. "I'm serious, man. Someone could have gotten hurt," He paused and looked the other boy over, "Are you okay?"

Nathan sat down on the wooden bench, bending over to untie his sneakers and put on his regular shoes. "I'm fine. You should see the other guy," Too bad he wasn't kidding this time.

For the rest of their conversation, Nate simply any questions that would lead to having to explain the implications from last night. They decided to head over to the apartment and pick of Lucas' stuff to move it to Brooke's place. Much to his chagrin, Peyton would be there to help as well.

The two siblings walked to the parked car, and Nathan clicked the keys to open the doors. Lucas was yammering on about the letter Coach had sent Nathan yesterday and how they needed to figure out a solution when suddenly Lucas grew quiet.

Nathan pushed his keys into the ignition and began backing out of his space, he turned his torso to see behind the car, his arm around the shoulder of Luke's seat. When he shifted back to drive, he heard Lucas ask.

"You didn't bring a girl home yesterday, did you?"

"No," Nathan replied flatly, concentrating on driving.

"Alright," Lucas stopped, "So you want to explain this?"

Nathan looked over, cursing to himself as he saw the little leather pouch in Lucas' lap.

**End Chapter 2**

A/N: There's some definite tension brewing between Nathan and Haley. Hope to continue, please leave a review if you want more!


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Peyton and Brooke lounged on the leather couch in Nathan's apartment. They had all agreed earlier to meet there to move all of Luke's things to Brooke's new building. But the boys had kept them waiting. As one of them smothered a yawn with the back of their hand, the other opened their phone to check the time. The Scott brothers were now twenty minutes late, and counting.

It had been grueling day of cheer practices and drills, both young women were exhausted and about ready to doze off. But the sudden slams and bangs coming from down the hall jolted them awake. They listened to the pair of familiar voices approaching in their direction.

"You _what_?" Luke yelled loudly.

"It was nothing! Don't be such a little bitch about it," they heard Nathan out back.

Without warning, the door slammed open and the dark haired sibling stormed into the room. He took one glance at his two guests sitting on the sofa, but didn't seem the least bit alarmed. Instead he narrowed his eyes, and without looking back announced, "I'm taking a shower!"

Just as Nathan moved further into the apartment, Lucas showed up in the doorway. "Nate!" Luke called after him. But the only response was the slam of the bathroom door. The all listened as the water began to run through the shower.

"Trouble in paradise?" Brooke inquired as he made his way over to them. Brooke pulled him closer after encircling her arms around his neck, slowly bringing his body closer to hers.

Lucas sighed, "Something like that, yeah,"

"What happened?" Peyton stood up slowly, an edge of concern in her voice, "Was it Dan again?"

"No," Luke shook his head. The situation at hand might be bad, but he could gladly say it had nothing to do with the same familial complications they'd faced in the past. "Not this time,"

"So then what's wrong?" Brooke asked. "I haven't seen Nate that worked up since P. Sawyer dumped his ass after senior prom," The brunette smiled into Luke's neck, both of them chuckling lightly at her comment.

Peyton scoffed, "Yeah right, he was so absolutely upset that he slept with half the squad the week after it happened,"

"That's the Scott boy charm," Brooke raised her hand to pinch Lucas' cheek, "But you're not allowed to use it on anyone but me," she chastised before leaning forward and they shared another kiss.

The blonde girl pretended to gag at the couple's public display of affection.

"So what's the story? What's going on with Nate?"

Lucas opened his mouth to answer, but closed it promptly as he thought about it more. This disaster might be better if kept on the down low. Nathan was already at risk for his wrongdoings, he didn't need them spread around campus.

"Nothing,"

**-p-**

Haley didn't know what she was doing anymore.

For the life of her, she couldn't figure out why Nathan Scott of all people had left such an impressionable mark in her memory. She couldn't concentrate after he left the coffee shop. The incessant whispers she would hear when she turned her back contributed to her distracted state, but it was mostly the image of the dark haired boy than remained carved in her conscious.

She let out a silent whimper as she shifted her weight away from her bad ankle. It was Sunday night, and the coffee shop was closing earlier. He had told her that her ankle was sprained, and she had no reason not to believe him. She felt her entire leg throbbing, as if ignoring her minor injury had dramatically worsened her overall condition.

Perhaps she had been too cold to him. After all, he was only trying to help her out. But then again, he was only doing it so she wouldn't press charges. Running over pedestrians wasn't quite the desired reputation an athlete wanted his scouts to hear. He was exchanging kindness for her silence.

She would have laughed at the irony. No one had to pay her anything to keep quiet anymore.

She untied her apron, slipping a comfortable and oversized knit sweater over her outfit in its place. She limped pathetically over to the front entrance, reaching over onto the wall to pull the light switch. In the blink of an eye, the entire shop was covered in a blanket of darkness. Her fingers fumbled with the set of keys in her right hand as she searched for the right one to lock up.

She pushed through the door outside, depositing the key and turning it until she heard the reassuring click. Before she could turn around, someone had interrupted her. She cringed involuntarily as she recognized his identity.

"Haley," he began, a clear strain in his voice.

They hadn't seen each other since she left him four months ago. He'd left her countless voicemails, sent her handwritten letters and apologies. But thinking t was better for both of them, she ignored any of his attempts to contact her.

Her first thought was to run away, but the pain shooting through her leg inhibited any of her plans.

"Haley, don't leave. We need to talk,"

She felt his hand on her shoulder, willing her to turn around and face him. He looked the same as he did before. Tall, thin, light hair and light eyes, everything about his appearance screamed the Chris Keller she once knew. But upon closer inspection, there was a slight difference. A rare serious expression now sat across his newly jaded features. He looked older now too.

All of the pent up emotion she'd been holding back came rushing forward, dizziness and fatigue running through her body at a rapid pace. The energy drained for her legs, it was a miracle she was still standing. She closed her eyes, wishing he would just disappear.

She decided a long time to bury him along with the past. But it didn't look like he was going anywhere without a fight.

**-p-**

Nathan shoved his hands into his jean pockets, walking down the street to return to the same destination twice in one day. After the foursome had finished moving Luke's stuff, Brooke started to whine about how they should all go out to celebrate the oh-so-grand milestone in their relationship. Surely enough, his half brother had given in without a single word of protest.

If that wasn't already reason enough not to join in on the outing, Peyton decided to invite that Jagielski kid to come with them. Jake was a fine basketball player and a valuable asset on the court, but he'd be damned if he was going to pretend to pal around with the loser shacking up with his ex.

After returning to his apartment, void of Luke's things, he started to feel lonely. Before he could take a sip out of the beer he grabbed out of his fridge, he realized how empty things were. He didn't care to admit it often, but he'd grown pretty attached to Lucas. They were brothers, and Nathan regretted how their friendship had started so late in their life.

Maybe Nathan shouldn't have blown up at Lucas when he'd confronted him about the accident.

He spotted her purse on his kitchen counter, and guilt began to pour through his chest. He hated how much she bothered him. She was some stubborn stranger with no place in his life, so why did she feel so significant? She didn't fall for his charm or wit like other girls, and he couldn't figure out why.

Determined to get his answer, he grabbed her stuff and headed out of his house. Too revved up to take his car, he just started walking. He was going to find her, shove her belongings back to her, and hand her some money to take care of her leg.

He was about to make it to the coffee shop, when he heard a conversation taking place. Or at least, a one sided conversation.

_"Haley, don't leave," _

Her name caught his attention immediately, and he stopped in his tracks. Instead of continuing his path to the front of the café, he hid behind the building. He peered over the edge of the corner, taking in the scene before him.

Sure enough, it was her again.

The pent up anger he'd been hoping to lash out at her immediately dissipated. He lost his breath, his lungs constricting as he looked at her cowering form. Even from a distance, he could see she was clearly uncomfortable with whoever was speaking to her.

He noticed that she was talking.

It occurred to him that maybe she hadn't kept quiet in his presence to spite him. Maybe she didn't speak to anyone at all.

"We need to talk," the man standing next to her stated solemnly. He paused for a short moment before continuing, "You didn't return any of my calls, so I went to your house looking for you. Your mom told me you came back to school,"

Nathan held back the urge to roll his eyes. Nathan had dealt with his fair share of scrawny looking posers before, but they weren't necessarily a force to worry about. Realizing that none of this was his business, Nathan debated walking away. But before he could properly decide, the man spoke up again. If he had planned on not getting involved, he should have left earlier.

Because after hearing what he was about to hear, there would be no going back.

"Will you just look at me?" the guy pleaded. "I know you're still shaken up about the whole accident, but none of it was your fault."

What accident?

"I'm here for you Haley, and I've been waiting for you to open up. For God's sake, I just want you to let me in,"

Still processing the information he was overhearing, Nathan almost didn't catch what happened next. Almost.

Haley's heart was beating uncontrollably, she swore she was going to pass out. Her knees began to wobble as her throat closed up again, the memories coming forward all over again. She felt Chris' hand shoot forward, wanting to steady her.

In a panic to avoid his touch, she jerked backwards. Her elbow crashed into the wall behind her, and before she knew it she was on the ground. The noises around her amplified as she shut her eyes in a mixture of pain and fright. She listened as Chris muttered something under his breath nervously, she felt him reach down to pick her off the floor when another voice suddenly joined in.

"Don't touch her," he growled, surprised by the aggression in his tone. He couldn't explain why he jumped out in that instant, his instincts had taken over at that point. He knew he wasn't jumping into action because some random person was in danger, but that it was because _she _was the one in potential jeopardy.

It was common sense for Chris to back off in that moment, even if his intentions hadn't been malicious to begin with. It was the fact that a larger, more athletically built man was intuitively intimidating.

"Who are you?" Chris questioned lowly, trying to contain his composure.

Ignoring the question, Nathan went forward and kneeled down next to the blonde girl on the sidewalk. Her eyes were closed, but somehow she knew it was him. He was taken aback when her hand grabbed tightly onto the fabric of his shirt as he pulled her up. He was careful not to place too much pressure on her ankle. From the looks of it, standing on it while waiting on tables all day had made it worse.

"What the hell?" the other man exclaimed, obviously bothered by what was happening.

In this situation, Haley thought in her head, it was better to trust someone she hardly knew than face someone she'd been avoiding for months.

"Haley, do you know this guy?"

"Back off," Nathan answered roughly for her. His voice was commanding, and a chill was sent down the other boy's spine. He softened his tone, now addressing Haley. "You okay?"

She was practically clinging onto his arm now, hiding behind his protective stance. She didn't know why, but at that moment she felt safe. She felt as if this man wouldn't let anything happen to her. It was a comforting yet disturbing sensation.

Finding the courage somewhere in the pit of her stomach, she opened her eyes. What she saw stole her breath away. Blue eyes, his blue eyes. They were filled with concern, something most didn't find synonymous with his name. Still shocked, she managed to nod her head in confirmation of his inquiry.

"Good," he clenched his jaw. He changed his gaze in the opposite direction, stepping in front of her so he acted as a barrier. "Now get lost," he spat at the other boy.

Chris didn't respond, but he didn't walk away either. This was too strange, the circumstances too eccentric. No one had ever mentioned this guy before.

"I'd listen to me if I were you," Nathan warned, growing impatient. "Any guy threatening my girlfriend doesn't usually get off walk away without a few bruises,"

Girlfriend?

Now that term astounded all three of them.

The word slipped out of his lips before he could even think to stop it. Honestly, he had no idea what he was doing. This wasn't his territory, helping out people he didn't know. But if there was anything he had experience with, it was playing the jealous and overbearing boyfriend. Peyton had hated it, but hey, it seemed appropriate for the current condition at hand.

Chris' jaw dropped. Finding no point in holding his incredulity back anymore, "Tell me he's kidding. This punk, really?"

Throwing his arms up in defeat, he finally resigned. "You know what Haley? Do what you want, just know that you'll be the one apologizing to me next time. I tried, you were the one who refused to talk to me," Desiring to give Nathan no more incentive to beat him to a pulp, Chris took off in the other direction.

Once he left, it was just the two of them remaining.

A pregnant, heavy tension fell over them. For a minute that felt like a lifetime, neither of them said or did anything.

Growing aware of what was happening, Haley thought it best to walk away. Before she could even try to take a step away, he was there in her way. He blocked her escape route, looking down at her, asking himself whether or not he should ask her what the initial altercation had been about.

But before he could do any of that, he knew what how he would need to act before that. Not speaking a word to her, he turned his back as if to leave. But instead of heading off, he stayed in place, only bending his knees to lower his height. He had his arms out at his sides.

"Get on," he said curtly, offering his back. When she didn't make a move to do anything he added, "We're going to fix your ankle. Now get on, or I'll just throw you over my shoulder. Your choice," He tried to sound unaffected, but a hint of worry was still present.

He was wrong, she didn't have a choice at all.

She didn't know why he was here, but she felt compelled that he was going to help her. He'd been right about her injury, and he seemed to know what he was doing. Anyway, it wasn't like she could run away this time. It was a rare occurrence, but she decided she was going to trust Nathan Scott. Even if it was just this once.

With unsure moves, she placed her weight on his back. He stood up without warning, and it made her uneasy how far up off the ground she was. He held her legs up, but his hands never wandered inappropriately. Hesitating slightly, she wrapped her arms around his neck. After a couple minutes into their walk, he found herself growing more comfortable in his grasp.

She knew he wasn't going to drop her. She was so at ease that she even allowed her tired head to rest on his shoulder.

By the time Nathan made it back to his apartment, he realized that the girl he was carrying had fallen fast asleep. He took his keys, opened the door, and set her down on the couch in the middle of the living room. Unsettled by his gentleness, he removed the sandals she wore from her feet.

She began to stir at these movements, glassy brown orbs opening and taking in her surroundings. She shied away from him, tucking in her foot, giving him a confused and questioning look. He realized how strange it was for him to bring her here without a proper explanation.

"Hold on, it's not like that," he put his hands up slowly, "I told you we were going to fix your foot, remember?"

She nodded, still skeptical.

"And I'm not judging you for it, but you're afraid to go to hospital, right?"

She bobbed her head up and down again, slowly beginning to let his words sink in. He watched as she relaxed a bit, her shoulders losing their tension.

He spoke up again, "Alright, good. Well since you're not seeing a doctor, I'm the next best thing," a confident but warm grin spread over his boyish features, "I haven't been careless enough to do it in years, but I know my way around a sprained ankle,"

Normally she would have found his comment condescending, but somehow she managed to see the humor in it. What he was saying did make sense. He was an athlete, it wouldn't be unheard of that he knew how to treat an injury like this. She mouthed an 'okay', attempting to hide her smile by turning away.

"Okay then, I'll be right back," he stood up and headed down the hallway.

She took her moment of solitude to observe their location. It was clearly someone's apartment, presumably his. It was sparse, empty, nothing homey about it. There were a few pieces of furniture, a kitchen that looked untouched, and blank white walls. She shifted in her place from the sofa, trying to sit up when she heard him returning.

"Elevate your foot," he instructed, taking her ankle and propping it up on a pillow. He placed something that looked like a black brace on the coffee table. In his other hand he held a large ice pack. He pressed it down on the afflicted area. She winced at its frigidity, but tried to hide her discomfort. He saw through her anyway. "I know it's not the most comfortable thing, but you'll need to keep it iced for a while. It wouldn't have been so serious if you got it checked out last night,"

Again, he was right. But she had her own reasons, and even he wouldn't understand.

He stepped back and sat on the edge of the coffee table, waiting. There wasn't much he could think to do for her at this point except for wait for the swelling to go down. "Feel better?" he asked offhandedly.

She nodded curtly.

Another silence came over the pair. He let out a breath, rising to his feet to get a beer. "Want anything?"

She shook her head from side to side.

He sighed again, sitting back down. "You don't talk much, do you?"

She didn't answer.

Again, he didn't know what else to say. So he decided he'd just wing it.

"Who was that guy back there?" he wondered aloud, "The one outside the coffee shop?"

She didn't look him in the eye, she was a terrible liar. So she shrugged.

"An old friend?" he guessed.

She did nothing to deny or confirm the accusation.

"A boyfriend?"

That one in particular struck a nerve. Her nose crinkled up in distaste, remembering how tumultuous and unstable her relationship with Chris used to be. She was going to shake her head, when she heard him chuckle.

"So that's a yes. I suppose that guy was your ex," it was a flat statement, no uncertainty at all.

It hadn't ceased to amaze her, how well this boy could read her. Even when she was trying to hide her emotions, he was flipping through her like an open book.

"I get it, exes are pains. I can't stand mine,"

Oh, she was sure he had enough experience with ex girlfriends. Half of Duke's female population claimed to have held some kind of relationship with him.

"You know, you're the first girl in my apartment."

She stopped, shooting him a dubious expression.

He found her reaction amusing, "My brother moved out a couple of hours ago. You're the first girl I've brought home since this place has been made mine alone,"

How charming, she thought.

"Annoying as hell, my brother. I'm gonna miss him," he stopped to ponder it a bit, "He's pretty much the only family I have,"

Now that was something she hadn't heard along the rumor mill. People painted him as this type of party boy with no remorse, some kid who loved to waste his nights away basking in his own selfish glory. But when you stripped away all of that bravado, she swore she could see a normal guy.

"Anyway," he segued, coughing into his fist, "I'm sorry about last night,"

She lifted her chin to see him better.

"I was having a crap day, and wanted to blow off some steam. I didn't mean to hurt anyone in the process,"

She'd heard apologies before, but none quite like this. He wrung his hands together, clearly not all too familiar with the concept of an sincere apology.

"And I'm sorry for blowing up at you this afternoon. My temper can get out of control sometimes-"

He felt her place a hand on his knee, and he lost track of his thoughts. Blue connected with honey brown, and they just stared at each other for a while. She pulled away slowly, giving him a soft and subtle smile. Almost as if she was accepting his sentiments, almost like she had forgiven him.

He couldn't really believe himself. He wasn't sure anyone find the past hour plausible. She hadn't uttered a single word, but she had communicated something so seamlessly that he wondered if this was even possible.

"Thanks," he muttered lowly. An idea came to him, and he extended his hand out to her. "We got off on a bad start, why don't we start over?" he offered.

Without having to think about it, she reached over and shook his hand. He squeezed her smaller palm in his own, not knowing why he liked it so much.

"Nice to meet you, Haley James,"

After that, they didn't discuss too much. He did all of the talking, and she didn't seem to mind. Nathan had never quite met anyone like her, someone who was so expressive yet still such a wonderful listener. He liked her, he liked her a lot.

Losing track of time, both of them dozed off. She fell asleep first, and he followed soon after. He knew someone more responsible like Lucas would wake the poor girl up and offer to drive her home, but he couldn't bring himself to do it. She was petite enough that her entire height covered a little less than three-fourths the length of the sofa, so he was able to fit comfortably in the space she didn't take up.

Before letting himself fall asleep, he secured his old brace around her foot. He had to tighten it various pulls in order to make it fit her smaller ankle, but he nonetheless made it work. Even in the short span he began working on it, the injury had healed quite a bit. He sat back down, ready to nod off, when he decided to take one last look at her.

When she was awake, she looked so uptight, so paranoid, so bothered by something that wasn't there. But here she was, soundly asleep, her features finally at peace. She looked angelic, her chest heaving slightly with every small breath she took.

She was beautiful.

Subconsciously, he told himself she was the most stunning sight he'd ever seen in his life.

When he opened his eyes the next morning, it was bright. He rubbed his eyes lazily, asking himself what had happened last night to make him sleep on a chair. When he remembered, he sat straight up. His gaze fell to the place he'd left her only hours ago.

But she was gone.

He stood up, wondering whether or not she had moved to a different room or something. It was futile though, because she was nowhere to be found. Her purse and the rest of her things were gone as well.

In the spot he'd last seen her, he spotted the little slip of white paper.

He swiped it into his hand, unfolding it and reading what it had written on it. He paused, swallowing hard as he read it several times over again.

_'Thank You. It was nice meeting you too, Nathan Scott.'_

The short message spoke volumes to him. Running a hand over the bottom portion of his face, he let out a loud sigh. He fell back onto the couch, still staring at the short note she'd left him.

Nothing made sense anymore. She was a true enigma, and the more he thought about it, the more desperate he was to figure her out.

But if anyone knew Nathan Scott, they could tell you one thing for sure. Whatever Nathan Scott wanted, he'd find a way to get it.

**End Chapter 3**

A/N: Ah, couldn't help but write Nathan as her savior. What did you guys think? Leave a review if you would like me to continue this story with another chapter.


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